Video games have been a major part of American life for decades, and each year sees new developments and new trends in the industry. If you create games or are involved in the gaming industry in any way, then you know how important it is to get your brand in front of the people who are playing the games on a daily basis. At CMI, we’re here to help you create the perfect custom promotional products for your company, whether you’ve been in the business for one year or 10 years. With our selection of products, you can find everything you need to spread the word about your company and your games. Shop online with us today!

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Who’s Your Target Demographic?

Today’s gamer ranges in age from 5 to 50, and it’s important to know who your target demographic is. Do you make puzzle games for kids that can be downloaded on a smartphone and taken wherever the child goes? Do you create first-person shooters that are geared towards a more mature audience? Knowing who you’re selling to can inform what kind of gifts and products you create for your trade shows, conventions, and competition events.

We have a great selection of options, making it easy to find products that appeal to your target demographic. It might be tempting to slap your brand on just about anything, but once you know the age range of gamer who is playing and enjoying your games, you can narrow down your selection when it comes to custom gifts.

 

What Gifts Will Gamers Like?

When thinking about what custom gifts to create for your business, there are numerous options from which to choose. While your loyal customers may appreciate anything with your logo on it, it’s important to create items that are useful and that help get your brand in front of more eyes. Items such as flash drives, power banks, and printed apparel can be the perfect choice for any event or promotion.

Custom USB Drives

USB drives can be a great option for your company, simply because they give you a way to distribute exclusive content to your customer base. You can load new game demos, hidden levels, and other things onto each flash drive, and then hand them out at your next promotional event. This can be especially beneficial if your target market is PC gamers who take their gaming laptops with them wherever they go.

We have a number of USB drive options, including plastic, wood, and metal products. You can also design shaped flash drives that gamers can wear, keeping their important files on their person at all times. We offer a number of storage capacities, so it’s easy to choose the drives that can hold everything you need them to hold, as well as give your customers the option to store their own files on their individual drives.

Portable Power Banks

The one thing every gamer needs, whether they’re playing games at home or on the go, is power. Batteries have long been a source of power for handheld games, but with the advent of tablets and smartphones, more and more people are playing games on these devices, which of course need to be charged using a USB cord or an AC adapter. With custom portable power banks, you can give your fans and customers the ability to recharge their devices when they’re not within range of a traditional outlet or USB power source.

Our power banks come in a range of shapes and sizes, and you can customize each one to have your company logo prominently displayed on it. For those who play games on tablets and phones a majority of the time, their new power bank will likely become an indispensable resource of juice on the go. They might download a few new games throughout the week while they commute on public transportation, and the last thing they want is not to have enough power to play those new games.

Custom Apparel

Every avid gamer loves to wear custom apparel that features logos of their favorite brands and game franchises. Even if your company isn’t that well-known in the industry, creating a t-shirt or hat with a sweet logo on it can grab the attention of convention-goers and event attendees. You can also offer shirts, hats, and other apparel as special gifts when people pre-order a new game that is currently in development.

We have a number of apparel options, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and beanies. We can even print jerseys that have your company logo on them, should you ever get into the sponsorship game and have people who take part in annual gaming competitions! Should you need button-down or woven shirts for your sales and marketing department, we can help there as well.

Custom Drinkware

It’s no secret that many gamers love caffeine, and they likely have something to drink every time they play. Whether it’s soda, coffee, or an energy drink, a gamer usually has a beverage nearby, which is what makes custom drinkware a great choice for your company. You can create unique gifts that have your company name and logo on them, or you can design mugs and cups that feature characters or settings from your games. You can even go so far as to create collectible drinkware that fans can buy and display on shelves in their home or office.

Drinkware can also be something that you hand out at trade shows and gaming events, which we’ll touch on later. They can be door prizes during an event, or you can add them to a gift bundle that you offer to those who sign up for a newsletter or who purchase a certain amount of merchandise from your booth.

Console vs PC Gamers

Another important aspect to consider when creating custom promotional gifts is what platform your games are being played on — console or PC. While home consoles are extremely popular these days, PC gamers have often been the more ardent fan base. People build gaming PCs from scratch, while consoles are often geared towards the more casual or occasional gamer. You’ll find your diehard fans among console players as well, but the most important thing is to know where and how your games are being played. Many console games get PC ports (and vice versa), but what platform your fans prefer can inform what gifts you create.

Console gamers tend to play games in their living rooms and other common areas. The evolution of online play has made it easier for them to play with friends across town or enter open-world arenas where they can play against countless opponents from around the globe. Certain consoles now have handheld systems built in, which make gifts such as headphones and earbuds the perfect option.

PC gamers tend to have their systems set up in their bedroom, home office, or a similar area with a desk or another surface for their monitors, keyboards, and other devices and equipment. Custom products such as mouse pads, USB hubs, and other office-related promotional gifts can be great options, and PC gamers will love using them every single day.

What Events Will You Attend?

Once you’ve decided what products you’re going to design, it’s a good idea to look ahead to what events you’re going to attend over the next calendar year. If you’re hoping to grow your business and get your games into more people’s hands, then it’s imperative to get a booth at a few events over the next 12 months.

Trade Shows and Gaming Expos

One of the best ways to garner interest and attract attention to your games and your brand is to attend trade shows and gaming expos. These events often feature new companies showcasing what they’re working on, and it can give you a chance to interact with the public and get their feedback on your games. You can also hand out custom swag to each attendee, which means they’ll be taking your brand home with them. Hopefully they enjoyed playing your game demos and talking to you at your booth, and whenever they use their new mug or wear their new shirt, they’ll be reminded of the great experience they had. Thanks to this positive impression, they may be more likely to buy your game once it’s released!

Game Release Events

Speaking of game releases, these events can be a great time to have new promotional gifts on hand for those who are there to buy your company’s new game. Perhaps you’ve set up at a local retail store where you’re going to be releasing exclusive copies of your new game to the first 100 people in line. While the game itself is what people are coming for, it can be extra special for them to take home a promotional gift, such as a custom shirt or a power bank with the release date printed on it.

For any gifts that will be printed for a specific release date, it’s important to know how many items you’ll need to have on hand in order to fulfill your commitment to those who pre-ordered your game. You can limit the number of people who can preorder, and then take that number into account when designing and ordering your custom gifts. It’s also a good idea to let people know that there will be a limited amount of unique gifts given out at your release event, or that these gifts will only be given out at the event. This should encourage those who have pre-ordered the game an additional incentive to show up and claim their prize!

Gaming Competitions

One area of gaming that has increased exponentially over the last five to 10 years is electronic sports, or eSports. Official gaming competitions now take place around the world throughout the year, and these events can be great places to show off your brand. As we mentioned before, if your company sponsors an individual gamer or a team of gamers, then you can create custom jerseys that feature your logo. Even if you’re not an official sponsor, there could be opportunities at gaming competitions to interact with potential customers and spread the word about your business and your games.

If your game is going to be one that is played during the competition, then you’re going to want to make sure you have plenty of swag on hand to give to every attendee. Even if it’s something as simple as a clear water bottle, people love taking home something tangible that will remind them of the great time they had watching their favorite gamers battle during the latest eSports competition.

Order Your Custom Products Today

The gaming industry can be very lucrative, especially for companies that learn how to engage with and reward their loyal customers. Fans who love a particular game will carry the torch for years when it comes to playing, promoting, and sharing that game, and they can be the ones you can market to when it comes to creating new gifts. Whenever you issue updates for a game or release a sequel, you can design new products that people can add to their collections!

At CMI, we make it easy to design and order custom promotional products. We offer free mockups on every order, as well as quick turnaround times so that you can get your gifts before you truly need them. If you want to start with a few small items, such as USB flash drives, then we can help you find the right options that fit your budget. From there, you can expand into power banks, apparel, drinkware, and any other items that you want to offer to your fans and customers. Before long, your brand will be in more people’s hands, and they’ll wear and use these gifts as your games are being played on their TV screens, computer monitors, tablets, and phones. Look through our catalog to see which items appeal to you, and should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

We look forward to helping you!